BELL TOWER DEMOLITION HALTED : ST. VIBIANA'S DISPUTE TO SHIFT TO COURT MONDAY.Byline: Mary Beth Alexander Daily News Staff Writer Preservationists obtained a restraining order restraining order: see injunction. to prevent the demolition of the quake-damaged bell tower at St. Vibiana's Cathedral on Saturday after the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Catholic Archdiocese began dismantling the structure without city permits. In a written release, the Los Angeles Conservancy The Los Angeles Conservancy is the preeminent historic preservation organization in Los Angeles, California. It works to document, rescue and revitalize historic buildings, places and neighborhoods in the city. said it won a temporary restraining order temporary restraining order: see injunction. in Los Angeles Superior Court preventing the city from issuing a permit for the demolition over the weekend. Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne scheduled a hearing to decide whether demolition is warranted for Monday at 8:30 a.m., Linda Dishman, executive director of the conservancy, stated in the release. ``As one of the oldest buildings in Los Angeles, the Cathedral must have a fair and thorough hearing before any demolition is allowed,'' said Dishman. The Rev. Gregory Coiro, the archdiocese's spokesman, said the church undertook the demolition only after the city of Los Angeles
He conceded that the archdiocese failed to obtain city permits. However, when the church called the city to see whether permits were necessary, the government offices were closed, he said. ``It seemed the only way to fulfill the order would be to take down the tower,'' Coiro said. A quickly assembled demolition crew arrived at the downtown cathedral at Second and Main streets around 7 a.m. and began removing the cross from atop the 83-foot bell tower, Coiro said. A lantern structure underneath the cross was then detached and lowered to the ground before city engineers ordered the crews to stop work at 1:30 p.m., Coiro said. Coiro said the stop order was issued because the archdiocese failed to obtain the proper permits. He said he knew nothing about the conservancy's restraining order. City officials were unavailable for comment Saturday. The cathedral and bell tower have been slated for demolition since last year, after a structural engineer hired by the archdiocese said both structures were unstable as a result of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Friday's nuisance abatement order, Coiro said, was issued by city inspectors who examined the building after a 3.6 temblor shook downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or on May 23. The order came less than two weeks after the cardinal made a controversial announcement that he was considering rebuilding St. Vibiana's in a different location in the city, possibly the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , instead of replacing the 120-year-old cathedral with a $45 million complex at the same location. His plan to raze raze also rase tr.v. razed also rased, raz·ing also ras·ing, raz·es also ras·es 1. To level to the ground; demolish. See Synonyms at ruin. 2. To scrape or shave off. 3. the cathedral has drawn the ire of preservationists, who want at least part of the old structure left standing. |
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